The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a public hearing Thursday to field commentary and testimony on inflators made by ARC Automotive Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee, which supplies the devices to air bag makers and several major auto companies.

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At the heart of the issue is a metal inflator canister inside the airbag device. The government contends that a crucial flaw could cause this canister to “rupture” upon impact.

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Instead of releasing pressurized gas to inflate the air bag, the canister essentially explodes, sending metal shrapnel into the vehicle at head height.

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“These injuries can be gruesome and can happen in crashes where otherwise the individual would have walked away from the crash unharmed,”

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Another NHTSA official, Sharon Yukevich, said the continued presence of the inflators was “an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to vehicle occupants.”

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She added, “The data and evidence suggests that this will happen again. The timing is unpredictable.”

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